CMD - Certified Medical Dosimetrist

Certified Medical Dosimetrist certification (CMD) validates the knowledge and skills of the medical dosimetrist who holds a bachelor’s degree and graduated from a program accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT). The Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board (MDCB) offers the CMD exam and certification.

Completion Time: Candidates have 3 hours and 50 minutes to complete the CMD exam

Cost:

• Application Fee: $200

• Exam Fee: $375

• Late Fee: $75

Exam Format

The CMD certification exam consists of 155 multiple choice questions, plus a small number of randomly embedded test questions that are unscored and used for statistical data. Candidates have 3 hours and 50 minutes to complete the exam and must score 600 out of 800 to pass. They receive their test results approximately 6 weeks after completing the exam. CMD exam topics include: 

• Treatment Planning (42%)

• Dose Calculation Methods (13%)

• Radiation Physics (14%)

• Localization (8%)

• Quality Assurance and Standards of Care (9%)

• Radiation Protection (9%)

• Brachytherapy (5%)

Eligibility Requirements

• Hold a Bachelor of Science degree or higher

• Graduate of a U.S. medical dosimetry program accredited by JRCERT consisting of at least 12 months

  • Must include an official transcript and diploma from the JRCERT program

  • Must also provide an official copy of bachelor’s degree diploma if candidate completed a certificate 

Additional criteria for international candidates are described in the exam handbook.

Steps to certification:

• Go to MDCB Login

• Click "Register for an Account”

• Complete application

• Be prepared to submit one of the following:

  • Official copy of diploma with corresponding transcript 

  • Official copy of bachelor’s degree diploma and diploma from a JRCERT certificate program

• Enter credit card information

CMD certification must be renewed every year by December 31st, but CMDs only have to meet their required continuing education credits over a five-year cycle. The cycle begins on January 1 the year after they receive certification. CMDs can submit an online renewal application up to one year before expiration. To be eligible for renewal, applicants must complete 50 continuing education credits.

Annual rectification:

• Log on to My Account

• Click on “My Learning Plan”

• Select “Pay Fees”  

By the end of every 5 year cycle the CMD must:

• Click on the “Learning Plan” button under the “My Cycle” tab at the top of the page

• Click on “View” to review the learning plan

• Select “Pay Fees”

Cost: $175

By the end of every 5 year cycle the CMD must either complete 50 continuing education (CE) credits or pass the certification exam. CE credits may be earned through the following activities:

• Academic college courses relevant to medical dosimetry

• Applications training courses

• Authoring editing, or reviewing journal articles

• Certification exam

• Courses, lectures, seminars or webinars 

• Directed readings

• Self-study

• Speaking at an event

• Writing items for the MDCB exam

MDCB has resources available to help candidates prepare for the CMD exam, including

• Certified Medical Dosimetrist Study Guide

• MDCB Exam Applicant's Handbook

• MDCB Certification Handbook

• MDCB Eligibility

• Practice Test

Study Resources:

• Gibbons, John, Khan’s The Physics of Radiation Therapy, 6th ed. 2019

• Khan, Faiz M. Treatment Planning in Radiation Oncology, 4th ed. 2016

• Perez, Carlos A. and Brady, Luther W. Principles and Practice of Radiation Oncology, 7th ed 2018

• Fleckenstein, P. Anatomy in Diagnostic Imaging, 3rd ed. 2014

• Bone Densitometry (BD)

• Registered Technologist in Nuclear Medicine Technology (RT-N)

• Radiation Therapy (R.T.(T))

• Registered Technologist in Radiography (RT-R)

• Registered Radiologist Assistant (R.R.A.)